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Unit 2 Culture

Culture - the shared products of human groups

  • ie: physical objects, beliefs, values, and behaviors

Subcultures - a world within the dominant culture

  • provides its members with values and distinctive ways of viewing the world

  • show solidarity in shared interest

  • ie: bodybuilders, ballroom dancers, truck drivers

Countercultures - a group with norms and values at odds with the dominant culture

  • ie: neonazis

Material Culture - physical objects that people create (tangible)

Nonmaterial Culture - abstract human creations such as beliefs, values, and behavior

Components of Culture

Values - common ideas that people of a society share

  • ie: freedom or humanitarianism

Norms - the rules, laws, or expected behaviors of a society

  • Folkways: minor behaviors that are seen as polite of tradition (raising hand)

  • Mores: behavioral expectations that protect the safety and well-being of society (using crosswalks)

Language - method of communication that members of a society use to share ideas

Material Possessions - physical objects that people create

Symbols - gestures, signs, words, objects, people, or events that represent something to members of society

Levels of Culture

Culture Patterns - a combination of a number of culture complexes into an interrelated whole (sports)

Culture Complexes - a cluster of interrelated culture traits (baseball)

Culture Traits - an individual tool, act, belief, or behavior that is related to a particular culture complex (pitching

American Values

Personal Achievement - finish a marathon

Work - completing a 40hr work week

Morality - not cheating

Humanitarianism - donating blood

Efficiency - hybrid car

Progress - develop cure for cancer

Material Comfort - buying shoes

Equality - salary equality

Democracy - voting

Freedom - protesting

Responses to Cultural Variations

Ethnocentrism - the tendency to view one’s culture as being superior

  • ethnic nationalists believe a country should be made up of the same culture

  • positive - in-group loyalty, pride

  • negatives - alienation, stereotypes

Culture Relativism - cultures should be judged on their own standards not those of an opposing culture

Cultural Universals - features developed by all societies to fulfill basic needs

  • George Murdock made a list >65 universals

  • specific nature may vary widely between cultures

Cultural Change

Social Movements - a large group of people who protest for change

  • “Green” Movement → more environmental

Technology - advancements or innovations which happen over time

  • smart phones

  • gaming systems

Population - movement of a large group of people from one place to another

  • sushi

Physical Environment - natural disasters that impact the environment we live in

  • Hurricane Katrina (2005)

  • Great Appalchine Storm (1950)

War and Conquest - conflicts between countries or groups of people

  • September 11, 2001

Cultural Lag - when some aspects of a culture change more slowly than others

  • internet and regulation laws

Vested Interest - individuals and groups that are reluctant to change aspects of their culture that impact them

  • oil companies vs. energy legislation

Social Movements

Loosely or tightly organized collective efforts by relatively powerless groups to affect social or political change operating outside of institutionalized political channels

  • civil rights

  • global justice

  • women’s movement

Key Characteristic of Social Movements

operate outside of political systems

arise from a groups exclusion from “normal” political channels

resisted by those in positions of power and privilege (especially when threatened)

  • it is preferred protesters go through institutionalized channels run by power

Goals of Social Movements

Redistribute material resources more equitably

  • labor movement, global justice

Gain full citizenship and/or rights

  • Civil rights, women’s, gay rights

Redefine society’s norms, values, and priorities

  • environmental, anti-war

Source of Power

By withholding their consent

  • refusing to participate in everyday life

  • denying others their labor

  • most effective when done collectively

Tactics and Strategies

Civil disobedience - purposefully and openly violating the law

Street Protests - marches, parades, rallies

Strikes - refusing to work to force employer to concede

Boycotts - refusing to shop, buy, or patronize a targeted enterprise

Property Damage - intentional damage done to public or private property

Violence - use of public force or power against another

Importance in Sociology

Represents the efforts to redefine social reality from the bottom-up

Expose the normally hidden dynamics and structures of power in society

Demonstrate that otherwise powerless people are able to “act back” and influence society

Unit 2 Culture

Culture - the shared products of human groups

  • ie: physical objects, beliefs, values, and behaviors

Subcultures - a world within the dominant culture

  • provides its members with values and distinctive ways of viewing the world

  • show solidarity in shared interest

  • ie: bodybuilders, ballroom dancers, truck drivers

Countercultures - a group with norms and values at odds with the dominant culture

  • ie: neonazis

Material Culture - physical objects that people create (tangible)

Nonmaterial Culture - abstract human creations such as beliefs, values, and behavior

Components of Culture

Values - common ideas that people of a society share

  • ie: freedom or humanitarianism

Norms - the rules, laws, or expected behaviors of a society

  • Folkways: minor behaviors that are seen as polite of tradition (raising hand)

  • Mores: behavioral expectations that protect the safety and well-being of society (using crosswalks)

Language - method of communication that members of a society use to share ideas

Material Possessions - physical objects that people create

Symbols - gestures, signs, words, objects, people, or events that represent something to members of society

Levels of Culture

Culture Patterns - a combination of a number of culture complexes into an interrelated whole (sports)

Culture Complexes - a cluster of interrelated culture traits (baseball)

Culture Traits - an individual tool, act, belief, or behavior that is related to a particular culture complex (pitching

American Values

Personal Achievement - finish a marathon

Work - completing a 40hr work week

Morality - not cheating

Humanitarianism - donating blood

Efficiency - hybrid car

Progress - develop cure for cancer

Material Comfort - buying shoes

Equality - salary equality

Democracy - voting

Freedom - protesting

Responses to Cultural Variations

Ethnocentrism - the tendency to view one’s culture as being superior

  • ethnic nationalists believe a country should be made up of the same culture

  • positive - in-group loyalty, pride

  • negatives - alienation, stereotypes

Culture Relativism - cultures should be judged on their own standards not those of an opposing culture

Cultural Universals - features developed by all societies to fulfill basic needs

  • George Murdock made a list >65 universals

  • specific nature may vary widely between cultures

Cultural Change

Social Movements - a large group of people who protest for change

  • “Green” Movement → more environmental

Technology - advancements or innovations which happen over time

  • smart phones

  • gaming systems

Population - movement of a large group of people from one place to another

  • sushi

Physical Environment - natural disasters that impact the environment we live in

  • Hurricane Katrina (2005)

  • Great Appalchine Storm (1950)

War and Conquest - conflicts between countries or groups of people

  • September 11, 2001

Cultural Lag - when some aspects of a culture change more slowly than others

  • internet and regulation laws

Vested Interest - individuals and groups that are reluctant to change aspects of their culture that impact them

  • oil companies vs. energy legislation

Social Movements

Loosely or tightly organized collective efforts by relatively powerless groups to affect social or political change operating outside of institutionalized political channels

  • civil rights

  • global justice

  • women’s movement

Key Characteristic of Social Movements

operate outside of political systems

arise from a groups exclusion from “normal” political channels

resisted by those in positions of power and privilege (especially when threatened)

  • it is preferred protesters go through institutionalized channels run by power

Goals of Social Movements

Redistribute material resources more equitably

  • labor movement, global justice

Gain full citizenship and/or rights

  • Civil rights, women’s, gay rights

Redefine society’s norms, values, and priorities

  • environmental, anti-war

Source of Power

By withholding their consent

  • refusing to participate in everyday life

  • denying others their labor

  • most effective when done collectively

Tactics and Strategies

Civil disobedience - purposefully and openly violating the law

Street Protests - marches, parades, rallies

Strikes - refusing to work to force employer to concede

Boycotts - refusing to shop, buy, or patronize a targeted enterprise

Property Damage - intentional damage done to public or private property

Violence - use of public force or power against another

Importance in Sociology

Represents the efforts to redefine social reality from the bottom-up

Expose the normally hidden dynamics and structures of power in society

Demonstrate that otherwise powerless people are able to “act back” and influence society

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